The Washington critic., 1887-02-19

nous letters count Tor wor 80 llhn noun
ing. To give them we ght Aud clI' ct,
which in the pending mltt,r is above
all things Gle 10 be des'r ~, every one
Of them should have had the place
whore written prcdNcd and the name of
the writer attached. If this were not
permissible, they should have been
kept out of the papers altogether.
TuE Senate is OVERRIDING the Naval
Appropriation business, and by the in.
PRODUCTION and passage of half dozen
different bills, all directed to the same
general object, is endangering the pas.
sage of any. This Is not busincsslikc
or statesmanlike. Conferences are
always more effective as a preliminary
than q sequel 10 legislation and the
proper course In this case would have
been the preparation of one bill, by the
Senate and House committees Jointly,
covering the whole subject of coast de-
fcnses and naval reconstruction, upon
which the two Houses could have after
wards taken intelligent and harmonious
action. But no, this wouldn't do, for
the reason that every Senator or Repre-.
sentative who has pet scheme of his
own Is ambitious for the credit of Its
authorship, and the consequence is the
presentation of multitude Of PROPOSE
tions, more or less conflicting with one
another, aud not only confusing the
public mind but seriously embarrassing
the action of Congress. The failure of
any adequate appropriation for the
great object In view Is therefore prob.
able and will be entirely due TO the
causes we have suggested.
SECRETARY WHITNEY, like the
President, has terse and forcefu way
Of expressing himself, as ILLUSTRATED In
his recent communication to the House
Naval Committee. concerning repairs
on the Hartford, Kearsargc and other
diapidN,ed craft, ironically included
in our catalogue of ships of war. He
says: ut is lamentablc that we should
be obliged 10 spend money upon i'm.
plcmcnts of war which have no real
value except in time of peace; but
such seems TO be the necessity at the
present time" But he economically
suggests that 5000 600 will be enough
to keep them alloat for the present
Mr.. Whitney has shown, in various
ways, a sagaoious comprehension of
the needs and interests of his depart.
ment, and we doubt If 1t would
be judicious, in making any new Cabi.
net deal, to transfer the Secretary
from position which he has success.
fully demonstrated his capacity to fill.
THE clements appear to have been on
a general iamboree for the last day or
two, from the far West all along the
line to New York, winding up with
thunderstorm in Maryland of which
the distant flashes were visible In Wash,
ington last evening. 1t Is a riotous
combination which the new Chief Sig.
nal officer is called upon to meet, but
Major Greedy Is not man TO be dis.
mayed by emergencies.
THE CRITIC hopes it may be true
that Minister Pendleton is not going
back TO Germany. He is too capable
and brilliant man to be wasting his
time abroad discussing the American
h 6 with Prince Bismarck. There is
an impending vacancy In the Cabinet
which no man In the country Is adapted
10 fill with more credit to the Admin.
istration or acccpiability to the people.
The defeat of the bill in the New
York Assembly eXempting women from
the death penalty ends all hope of Mrs.
Druse's escape from the gallows, eX.
cept by executive cl9mcncy, and Gov.
ernor Hill, according to all accounts, Is
great sticlller for the enforcement of
the law, irrespective of sex.
MAJOR GREELY, the Arctic hero,
seems TO be in big luck this week; a
nomination on Tuesday for promotion
10 brigadier general, and bouncing
daughter that arrived yesterday. No
signals out for squalls, but slight ones
expected as usual.
NOTES AND GOSSIP.
MRs. ELLA WHEELER WILCOX, the poet
will sail for Cuba February 20, accom-
| panied by her husband.
| Mn Iyra ~ fnppnntto,t 49,